New ordinance affects local breweries, wineries

Recently the County’s new Host Facility Permit for Breweries ordinance went into effect that affects breweries, wineries and other locations where there is direct sales catering.

The new ordinance does not apply to street fairs, food trucks or farmer’s markets.

According to the City of Escondido, the goal of the ordinance is to regulate food safety in tasting rooms where a vendor independent of the host facility (brewery or winery) is selling food.

One of the requirements is for the host facility to provide equipment similar to a restaurant (including a three-compartment sink, mop sink, and handwashing sink). If these facilities install kitchen equipment, a grease interceptor, or grease trap will be required to pre-treat effluent before it goes into the sanitary sewer per the most recent City of Escondido adopted uniform plumbing code (UPC).

Escondido City staff attended the County’s workshop on the ordinance and are notifying all breweries and wineries within the City to advise them of the Host Facility Permit.

According to Michelle Geller, economic development manager for the city, “This permit affects all wineries/breweries in the county. Within Escondido city limits we have two wineries (Vesper Vineyards and BK Cellars) and two breweries (Stone and Jacked Up). Obviously, this doesn’t affect Stone because they already have a restaurant facility on site.”

She told The Times-Advocate, “For the others, I’m not sure whether they have had food offerings (via food trucks or otherwise) so not sure whether this will affect their future plans. A few years ago, we allowed wineries and breweries in our industrial areas to have food trucks on site (previously this had not been allowed). I don’t recall that any of the three mentioned above took us up on that.”

One response to “New ordinance affects local breweries, wineries”

Why no mention as to ‘why’ this ordinance was needed? I’ve been to a few of these small breweries, and getting a taco, or some other food was a very nice addition, and that from one week to the next it could be a different style of food all together. What is the city trying to correct?